Furniture glide



Sept. 6, 1955 s. T. KILMER 2,716,774

FURNITURE GLIDE Filed Oct. 25, 1952 as; WW?

INVENTOR imo 12102 I%},/ l1 1 mar 5 BY eWiQ/Mcia-M ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofiice 2,716,774 Patented Sept. 6, 1955 FURNITURE GLIDE Simon T. Kilmer, Grand Rapids, Mich., assignor to American Seating Company, Grand Rapids, Micln, a corporation of New Jersey Application October 25, 1952, Serial No. 316,906

1 Claim. (Cl. 16--42) The present invention relates to furniture glides.

The primary objects of this invention are to provide improved glides for an article of furniture which are so constructed that they compensate for uneven floors and for possible slight differences in the lengths of the legs of the article of furniture; to provide such glides which will not mar floors made of composition, linoleum or the like even though the furniture might be heavily loaded or be tilted on the floor; and in general to provide such a furniture glide which is simple in construction, eflicient in its intended use, reasonably economical in manufacture and attractive in appearance.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a table of a type frequently employed in classrooms, equipped with the glides of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view of parts thereof taken on line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the same taken on lines 33 of Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view of the same taken on lines 4-4 of Figures 2 and 3;

Figure 5 is a sectional view similar to Figure 4 and showing the glide in a different condition of use;

Figure 6 is a sectional view similar to Figures 4 and 5 and showing the glide in still another condition of use; and

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the glide per se.

Referring now in detail to this drawing wherein like parts are designated by the same numerals in the several views, the classroom table shown in Figure 1 comprises a table top' 10 with bookrack 11, supported by vertical tubular columns 12 mounted at their lower ends on sheet metal leg elements 13 extending laterally on opposite sides of the columns 12 and terminating in feet 14 which are U-shaped in both horizontal and vertical cross-section. The U-shaped lower marginal edge of each foot 14 is formed outwardly, downwardly and then inwardly to form a horizontal U-shaped socket 15 as best seen in Figures 3-6 inclusive.

Each glide per se comprises an attachment member or plate 16 having a depressed embossment 17 which provides a convex protuberance 18 on the lower surface of the plate and a concave hollow 19 in the upper surface of the plate. The embossment 17 is provided with a central aperture 20 therethrough. The floor-contacting member of the glide is in the form of a metal shell 21 disposed beneath and spaced from the attachment plate 16, said shell 21 comprising a sheet metal disk which is formed to provide a slightly downwardly dished middle body portion and an upwardly and inwardly curled peripheral retaining flange 22. A Washer member 23 here shown in the form of a spider is secured within the shell 21, being assembled thereto in the manner fully described in the pending application identified in the opening paragraph of this specification, and being retained therein by the shells peripheral flange 22. The washer member 23 has an upwardly dished middle portion 24 forming with the floor-contacting member 21 a compartment 25, said dished middle portion 24 being centrally apertured at 26.

A rivet 27 comprises the connecting member between the flooring-contacting member 21 and the attachment plate 16. The lower head of the rivet is disposed. within the compartment 25 freely movably therein. Theshank of the rivet extends upwardly through the central apertures 26 in the washer 23 and 20 in the attachment plate 16, and the upper head of the rivet engages the concave upper surface 19 of the attachment plate 16. The shank of the rivet 27 has a smaller diameter than the central apertures 26 and 20 so as to permit universal movement of the rivet relative to both the attachment plate 16 and the floor-contacting member 21.

An intermediate resilient rubber cushion element 28 is interposed between the floor-contacting member 21 and the attachment member 16, being squeezed therebetween when the glide is assembled so that said members are normally urged apart and the upper surface of said cushion element 28 is made to conform to the contour of the depending convex protuberance 18 on the attachment plate 16.

The assembled glide may be attached to the lower end of a leg of an article of furniture by securing the attachment plate 16 to the leg in horizontal position, by any suitable means. As shown in the drawing this assembly is effected by sliding the attachment plate 16 into the horizontal U-shaped socket 15 of a foot 14 of the article, and then crimping the ends of the sockets lower flange as indicated at 29 to secure the guide in position.

In use, glides are afl'ixed as above described to all of the legs of the article of furniture. The glides normally rest on the floor as shown in solid lines in Figures 3 and 4, there being but little displacement of the rubber cushion elements 28. Slight variations in the floor surface, or slight inaccuracies in the construction of the table, are compensated for as indicated in the dotted lines of Figure 4 wherein the convex protuberance 18 on the attachment plate 16 is shown rotated in the concavity formed in the upper surface of the rubber cushion element 28. Greater variations or inaccuracies are compensated for as shown in Figures 5 and 6. In Figure 5 the rubber cushion element 28 has been further squeezed, indicating a high spot in the floor or an abnormally low table foot. In Figure 6, the attachment plate 16 is rotated to its maximum limit in the cushion elements upper concavity and in addition the cushion element has been further squeezed at one side thereof.

The glides of the present invention provide an effective means of compensating for abnormal conditions resulting from unlevel floors or inaccurate furniture construction so that the article of furniture is always supported at all four corners and any tendency to wobble is eliminated. Also the glides, due to their universal movability, prevent any marring of the floor which might otherwise result from tilting of the article of furniture or subjecting it to excessive or unequalized loads.

While but one specific embodiment of the invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that numerous details thereof may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as the same is defined by the following claim.

I claim:

A compensating furniture glide comprising: an attachment plate adapted for attachment to the lower end of a leg of an article of furniture in substantially horizontal disposition, said plate having a depressed embossment whereby the lower surface thereof defines a convex protuberance and whereby the upper surface thereof defines a concave hollow, said embossment having a central aperture therethrough; a floor-contacting member beneath and spaced from said attachment plate; a washer member secured adjacent the upper surface of said floor-contacting member and having an upwardly dished centrally apertured portion forming with the floor-contacting member a compartment; a rivet having ,a lower head disposed in said compartment freely movably therein and having a shank passing upwardly through the central apertures in said washer and said embossment, and the upper head of said rivet engaging the concave upper surface of said attachment plate, said shank having a smaller diameter than said central apertures to permit universal movement of the rivet relative to both the attachment plate and the floor-contacting member; and an intermediate resilient cushion element squeezed between the washer member and the attachment plate and circumscribing said shank.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 822,963 Little June 12, 1906 938,219 Crumb Oct. 26, 1909 1,332,605 Child Mar. 2, 1920 2,140,541 Moore Dec. 20, 1938 2,317,077 Morgan Apr. 20, 1943 2,640,219 Becker June 2, 1953 2,672,679 Morgan Mar. 23, 1954 

